


Beyond the Barbed Wire

by wickedpleasures



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attraction, Confusion, Denial, Desire, Developing Relationship, F/M, Falling In Love, Hook-Up, I Don't Even Know, Rejection, Relationship(s), no, whatever, yes - Freeform, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-04-06
Packaged: 2018-01-16 21:24:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1362247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wickedpleasures/pseuds/wickedpleasures
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suddenly, she questioned herself. Since when had she become a naïve 15-year-old dreaming about the random guy who had just wanted to use some girl he found in order to entertain himself at a boring party he was stuck in? She was 20 now and long over these senseless post-hook-up crushes; she had actually become the young woman who would disappear and never be heard from again after these.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

-       ‘Do you know what these are?’ She asked, looking amused.

-       ‘Absolutely no idea’, he cheerfully answered to this stranger, a huge grin suddenly breaking his serious, frowning expression.

 

She huffed, quite mockingly one could swear. He kept on chewing on his piece of food until it was shoved down his stomach, tongue running over his pearly white teeth to make sure no residue of the unknown meat he had just swallowed down would make him look ridiculous. She bit down her bottom lip as if to hide a growing smirk.

 

-       ‘You seem like you do have an idea, though’, he stated, frowning again.

-       ‘I actually do. I happen to have eaten these before’, she said playfully.

-       ‘Are you going to tell me, then?’ He asked. She could’ve sworn she heard a worried tone to his voice.

-       ‘Well these are, dear young man, chicken hearts’, she proudly stated, impatient to see his reaction.

 

He froze, but his frown went deeper. He opened his mouth once or twice, gasping at the same time, before finally grabbing a can of beer and gulping half of it down in one go. He never averted his eyes from hers.

 

-       ‘I feel like vomiting’, he eventually said.

-       ‘That’s usually what happens when you drink half a pint in less than thirty seconds, yes’, she stated, now showing off her teeth as she let out a small laugh.

-       ‘Chicken hearts, really? So that’s what _churrasco de curaçao_ actually means’, he incredulously said.

-       ‘Yes, eating heart is a South American thing, I believe. In Peru they have _anticuchos_ , which is sliced beef heart. I’ve already tried it, but I feel disgusted even though it tastes nice…’

-       ‘Sliced beef heart? Those South Americans are definitely crazy’, he mumbled, shaking his hair out of his face with both hands.

 

She smiled at this statement and picked a fried ball of food, then grabbed a glass of red wine. The buffet was nice but, they had to admit, they had no idea what half of the dishes was. Knowing now he could be eating weird animal organs at any time, he finished his beer and went for the table where stood the exotic drinks Brazil had to offer. He didn’t break eye contact with her, silently letting her know he wasn’t going anywhere else for the moment. He saw a platter of fruit and put some in a bowl that he brought back to her.

 

-       ‘I think we know these, they should be edible for our European stomachs’, he said bringing the bowl up to her face.

-       ‘I’ll grab some later, thanks’, she frowned and took a step back as if to avoid getting hit by the bowl.

 

She sipped her wine while he was munching on the fruit and telling her why he had gotten invited to this Brazilian party by some friend of a friend and how he had been forcibly dragged there by his mate Jack, and how he had been bored to death since the beginning. He also explained how his friend had ordered him to stay and wait for him before leaving as they were going to the same after party later on. She silently thanked this Jack guy for his actions, for she would have probably died of boredom hadn’t she seen this young man's dubious face when he had picked the chicken heart brochette. She was feeling very sober and decided it was time to get wasted before she had the opportunity to decide to head back home. She put down her only half empty glass of wine on the table and went for a _caipirinha_ , deciding it would do the job better and faster.

 

-       ‘No more wine?’ He asked, a smirk forming on his pink lips.

 

She huffed, mockingly again, and stared into his bright green eyes, arching an eyebrow.

 

-       ‘I drink wine all the time. I need some fun tonight, because just like you, I came here against my will. You see, my best friend is here only for a week and she has this Brazilian friend back home who told her about tonight, so she dragged me here too.’ She glanced around until her eyes stopped and she pointed at the back of the club with her thumb. ‘She’s having some Brazilian fun, apparently, and it’s been about half an hour. So, yes, I’m dropping the wine and I’m having a Caipi instead, which will help me get through this night much more easily.’

 

He shook his head lightly and let out a laugh, teeth on full display as he grabbed her by the waist and led her to the dance floor where a few Brazilians were dancing on some Bossa Nova music. She looked a bit surprised but let herself go as a satisfied smile spread across her face. He did not miss it. She took a few sips of her cocktail and when they were engulfed in a sea of softly dancing people, she felt his other arm drop to her hip and clumsily bring her closer, trying not to spill his drink.

 

-       ‘I think we can make this a fun night, after all’, he said in her ear after a few minutes of them dancing. ‘We definitely look stupid dancing on this music that they all seem to know so well.’

-       ‘Yeah, this old man over there looks quite offended by our dancing skills’, she laughed.

 

She was feeling the alcohol making its way through her veins, lips numb and shaky legs barely allowing her to dance. She thought that if it weren’t for his strong arms, she would have collapsed to the floor laughing. She was feeling warmer and warmer by the minute, his muscular chest pressed to hers, his hot breath tickling the back of her neck, his fingers pressing into both her hip and the small of her back with his free hand. She let her nose rest on his shoulders, her arms awkwardly encircling them. She thought her sense of smell had improved, for she could very well smell his perfume and liked it every time she inhaled. They kept dancing around, silently, all smiles, shrugging off the funny looks they were getting from the people who knew the proper dance. Then she heard a song she knew, to which the rhythm was faster than the previous ones. They parted a bit and started moving around in an attempt to dance excitedly, but he lost his balance and tripped backwards. She managed to hold him back by the hand and they both burst out laughing, cocktail spilling out of their glasses. She was definitely drunk, she thought. He was trying to readjust his breathing and thought she looked gorgeous even through foggy eyes. As their glasses emptied, they kept balancing on their feet, no more able to dance properly. He was completely wasted but eventually led her out of the dance floor to the drinks table and grabbed another cocktail nonetheless, offering her one. She shook her head, a few strands of hair falling somehow graciously on her cheeks.

 

-       ‘Nah, no more Caipi for me, mate’, she softly said, shifting closer to him.

-       ‘Well, that isn’t what I call fun, then’, he insisted.

-       ‘Well, get me a Mojito instead, then’, she mocked and giggled at the same time.

 

He grinned full on and looked around the table until he found a strawberry Mojito and handed it to her.

 

-       ‘Is your best friend still having some Brazilian fun?’, he slurred as he put his arm around her shoulders.

-       ‘Erm, let me check’ she said as she turned around, feeling dizzy, looking at the same spot where she had last seen her friend. She wasn’t there anymore so she took her phone out of her pocket and saw a text from her. ‘Oh, she said she went to her friend Fernando’s flat because she saw I was not alone. Says she should be heading home at around 4 A.M. ‘cos he’s having this after party and…’

 

She couldn’t even finish her sentence as he was pushing her through the lessening crowd of people towards the cloakroom. They bumped into a few dancing couples as they tried to make their way to their awaiting coats, the sound of _Fly Me to the Moon_ filling their ears. When their coats were on, they left their half empty drinks on a table and made for the exit, but he stopped midway and pulled her to his chest singing “Fly me to the moon”, a somewhat serious expression on his face. Then he let go and simply added, “Let’s get some fresh air, shall we”.

 

The cold, sharp air hit their faces as they set a foot outside, hand in hand. They walked along the street past hundreds of people waiting outside of some posh club they both glared at. When they were far enough and the streets were quieter, he started laughing.

 

-       ‘Hey, what is so funny?’ she asked, lips trembling from the cold.

-       ‘I don’t know. I was there with Jack who had to leave after a ridiculously short amount of time, I was hungry as hell, and I decided to eat some before leaving. Then I was eating fucking chicken hearts all alone and there you come, warning me of the food, and now there we are, outside, both of us, total strangers.’ He explained, laughing in between sentences.

-       ‘Oh yeah! I thought you had to stay and wait for this guy and then go to an after party with him…?’, she asked, frowning.

-       ‘Yeah, that’s what I said, because you seemed nice and I wanted to spend some time with you instead of going back home to a boring movie right away, and I needed an excuse for not trying to escape the place as quickly as possible’, he shamelessly admitted. She thought the alcohol could be responsible for his boldness.

-       ‘And this is funny because…?’, she tried.

-       ‘Because I’m starting to realize that it’s actually true; the nights you think are going to be boring do end up being the funniest ones’, he answered, turning to look at her with a warm smile.

 

She smiled back and eventually thought about where they were heading. It seemed to her they were walking in no particular direction, but she didn’t care. Their intertwined fingers made her feel warmer than she should have been – she also suspected the cocktails to be the reason for it – and he was feeling the same. After a while they got to a smaller street with lots of bars and people smoking their cigarettes outside, talking loudly and laughing hysterically. He recognised someone and sped up the pace, much to her surprise. He kept his head down and when they were past the street, he let out a relieved sigh.

 

-       ‘Everything alright?’, she tried, worried.

-       ‘Yeah, just… There was a guy I was supposed to see tonight. The lad’s annoying though, so I kind of said I was sick, so I didn’t really want him to see me’, he fumbled, looking down at his feet. 

-       ‘Well, he can’t see you anymore, so, everything’s okay, right?’, she tried to reassure him.

-       ‘Sure, love’, he answered, lightly squeezing her hand.

 

They kept on walking in silence for a while, neither of them complaining about the lack of spoken words. Once in a while he would squeeze her hand or play with her fingers while subtly laughing, and she would stroke his hand with her thumb. After a few minutes, he made a sharp left turn and she had little to no time to process the sudden change of path when she was pushed to a wall, his lips crashing on hers. They were hungry for her plump lips and they bit them roughly, then the pace slowed down and it was the gentlest kiss ever, until they were starving again. It was as if he was begging for more each second that passed, and it was as if he was afraid of losing her if he stopped holding her head firmly in his hands. He entangled her hair in his right hand while the left one fell on her breast, well hidden under her winter woollen coat. She gasped against his mouth and placed her hands around his neck, pulling him in and letting him know that she was perfectly fine with the situation – albeit a bit uncomfortable pinned to the hard brick wall. They stayed there five good minutes kissing, panting, unbuttoning the other’s coat to access new flesh from the neck, tasting a mixture of sweetness and saltiness from the fragrance carefully placed there earlier in the evening and the sweat accumulated while dancing like nothing in the world could stop them. She had no idea why her legs had started to feel numb while her stomach felt like it was torn in a thousand different directions at a time, but still enjoyed the sensation. He had no idea what had caused his hands to start shaking and why he needed to kiss every single part of exposed skin he could find on her. She sure was stunning and she sure had been a great entertainment at this lousy party, but she was just another pretty girl he had been lucky to encounter, just like the one from two weeks prior and the one a month prior, and so on. They had simply felt different, did not make his guts churn to a point where he thought he would have to stop kissing them in order to evacuate from his stomach whatever alcohol made him feel this way.

 

 _I wish the beverage was responsible for what’s happening down there, though_ , he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, my mother tongue is not the same as that of Shakespeare. I therefore apologise for any inconvenience I could've caused by making grammatical/vocabulary errors. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey,
> 
> So I've noticed a few hits on my work, and it took me forever to update it. If you actually read and like what I write and want to read more, leave a comment, that might have me motivated to write faster ;) I actually had more than half of this chapter ready when I posted the first one but I've just been kind of lazy and doing other things, but anyway, here it is, at last.

It was probably 10 am when she heard her alarm go off. She was expecting to be pinned down to her bed by the pounding in her head when she’d sit up. No such thing happened as no pounding occurred. She had perfectly clear memories of the night before and a wave of warmth travelled from her stomach to her feet when she thought about how it had ended. He had walked her to her place and kissed her numerous times, gentle and sweet, and had asked for her number, shy, almost like a 10-year-old confessing his love for the first time to a pretty girl. She had tried to contain a giggle but had failed. So she had handed him her phone, then dialled the newly saved number in order for hers to flash on his screen. He had started to walk away when he stopped to run back to her and peck her on the cheek, then leaving while walking backwards to take in her whole image one last time before being out of sight. She had gotten a text about 30 minutes later.

 

_Good night love, was nice meeting you. x_

She had wanted to answer immediately but decided to pretend she was already asleep and that she would answer the next day.

 

So at 10 am, she sat up on her bed and stopped the alarm, and wasted no time to click on the message button. His text was still there, alone, waiting to be replied to.

 

_Hey sorry I was already sleeping I guess. Yea it was nice meeting you too! Hope you had a nice sleep :)_

She didn’t want to sound too fond of him, so she put her phone aside to keep herself from stalking him on Facebook and adding him. She got up to make herself some tea and scrambled eggs with toasts. She contemplated on whether she should stay home to study or go to her favourite café shop, but her thoughts were interrupted by her best friend appearing in the kitchen, looking dishevelled and half asleep.

 

-       ‘Oh hiya!’ she said enthusiastically while her friend yawned.

-       ‘Howdy..’ she managed to slur as she pulled a chair and crashed on it.

-       ‘Are you okay? What time did you get home last night?’ she asked while taking a bite of her toast.

 

As her friend was concentrating on thinking of what time she had found her way back home, a buzz from her bedroom rang throughout the silent flat. She knew it had to be her phone, and died of impatience to know if it was a text from the handsome man from last night who had taken her to places she hadn’t gone in longer than she could remember. She pointedly looked at her friend, still seemingly trying to tidy up the pieces of the currently smashed brain that was lying inside her skull. She hurried her friend to get a quick answer, so the suffering girl eventually replied by a simple ‘maybe 4’. Her last syllable had just been pronounced when she ran to her bedroom and grabbed her phone, heart beating fast.

 

_Olive I went out, didn’t know if you were awake or not but I forgot my keys so could you be awake and there by the time I get back home at 12 or something thx. Mil_

 

She had never hated her flatmate as much as at this right moment. She threw her phone on her bed and walked out of the bedroom, furious. She tried to hide her frustration to her best friend but then realised she probably wouldn’t even notice as she was having a hard time supporting her own head on her shoulders, let alone keeping her eyes open.

 

-       ‘Can you stay home today and open to Millie when she gets back?’ she purposely asked in a loud tone, hoping to wake her up in the process.

-       ‘Uh, yeah, sure, don’t think I’d be able to go anywhere anyway..’ her friend answered, eyes blinking a thousand times.

 

So Olivia didn’t bother finishing her breakfast and threw the remainder in the bin. She brought her tea back to her bedroom and started rummaging in her wardrobe while glancing occasionally at her phone that was sitting on the bed, facing upwards. It stayed blank. She took out a pair of black jeans and a white sheer button-up with a navy fluffy oversize jumper from her wardrobe and grabbed her underwear from a drawer, then went for the shower, intentionally leaving her phone where it was.

 

As the hot water ran over her body, she tried to think solely about the essay she had to hand-in in a week later and still had no idea as to what to write. However, her thoughts were constantly drifting to his face, his hands, his lips, his eyes and his incredible hair. Then suddenly, she questioned herself. Since when had she become a naïve 15-year-old dreaming about the random guy who had just wanted to use some girl he found in order to entertain himself at a boring party he was stuck in? She was 20 now and long over these senseless post-hook-up crushes; she had actually become the young woman who would disappear and never be heard from again after these.

 

She stepped out of the shower and changed into her clothes, put some light make up on and left her best friend in her flat, still sitting on a chair, staring into the void. When she hit the streets, the cold air did her good, she thought. Her messenger bag containing her laptop was heavy on her shoulder and she wished the walk to the tube was shorter. Her fingertips were starting to tingle and her teeth to chatter with cold when she felt a buzz in the back pocket of her jeans. She reached behind her and grasped her phone, teeth now violently chattering. She wondered why, as it was winter but the temperature certainly did not reach below 0 degrees Celsius. Her heart jumped as she saw the name of the contact that had just sent her a message.

 

_**Harry:** Yeah I did sleep well. Too much uni work today, looks like I’ll make campus my home for the day.. Anyway, thanks for having been fun last night. See you around._

 

She had stopped walking as she was reading, confused as to how to interpret this text. The first part seemed friendly, as if to invite her to share her plans for the day, she believed. But then again, the last part sounded almost like a farewell, a bracket closing a digression. She felt like crying for a second, but then felt like it was of no use just yet.

 

She lifted her eyes from her phone and found herself facing the entrance of the tube. She looked at the time on the phone; 11:15. She glanced to her right where the bus stop was, and back to the tube station. She stood there for about 15 seconds pondering. Her feet finally dragged her to the right and she headed for the bus stop. She knew it was only a 15-minute ride to the Metropolitan University, as she had hesitated to accept a place on their course two years prior. She had gone to the area a few times as it was close to where she lived, and knew there was a coffee shop she had really liked just across the road from the campus, so she decided to get her essay started there while drinking her usual tea. As she hopped on the bus instead of the tube that should have taken her to her favourite café near the university she actually attended, she felt a certain sense of creepiness. Had she not remembered when he had mentioned where he was completing his Graphic Design degree the night before, she wouldn’t have been walking up the narrow stairs of the double-decker bus at this moment.

 

She couldn’t stop her heart from beating fast when she hopped off the bus at her destination, and couldn’t stop her head from looking in all possible directions in search of a mop of dark brown hair belonging to a tall, thin man. She almost saw her life end before her eyes when a car almost ran her over as she hurriedly crossed the street to get to the coffee shop she was headed for. She gave one last look around the area before entering the place, the warmth relieving her crisped fingers. She realised just then she hadn’t answered his last text, but eventually decided on not doing so. She found a comfortable armchair at the back of the shop and plopped down on it after having ordered her tea. She opened her laptop and started assembling a mind map of ideas for her essay; or at least she tried to. She was too busy paying attention to each new customer entering the place, heart jumping just a little when their hair was similar to his, but eventually drifted into focus and ideas started flowing through her mind.

 

After having completed a full page of ideas and concentrating on how to expose them in her essay, a serious frown on her forehead, she decided to take a break. She opened her Internet browser and went to answer messages on Facebook and take a look at the news feed. About 5 minutes in, her phone buzzed on her side. She absentmindedly took hold of it, without disconnecting her eyes from the meme she was laughing at on her laptop. She brought the phone up to her face and immediately felt like melting into her seat when she read the name of her correspondent.

 

_**Harry:** Seems like studying is fun to you.. ;)_

 

She stared at the text for a few seconds, puzzled, before lifting her eyes and scanning the room. She felt like disappearing when her eyes fell on him, as he was waiting for his order at the counter, smiling back at her. She could’ve sworn her cheeks were on fire, bright red like a tomato. She gave him the most awkward wave ever and regretted it right away. She brought her eyes back down to her computer and closed the browser to reopen Word, where her mind map was awaiting her. She pretended to be very focused but all she managed to do was watch his every move out the corner of her eye. He grabbed a coffee and a salad from the bartender and addressed her a smile as he walked right in Olivia’s direction.

 

‘So, what are you doing here?’ she heard a low yet soft voice ask from in front of her spot. She looked up, hoping her cheeks were not competing with the red of a Bordeau wine, and emitted a strangled noise before speaking.

 

-       ‘Oh hey!’ she spoke, ‘I needed to study and I liked this place so… yeah… oh and I had to meet up with this friend from Met Uni so that’s why I chose this area’, she lied, before adding clumsily: ‘he couldn’t make it though, so yeah, I’m on my own, but it’s fine really’.

-       ‘Right’, he laughed, softly. ‘Did I mention yesterday that Met is where I’m studying?’

-       ‘Um, no, I don’t think so?’ she lied again, trying to look as if she was trying to remember. ‘Or did you? I’m sorry, I had a bit too much to drink I guess’ she said in an awkward laugh.

-       ‘Yeah must be that. But yeah, that’s my campus. I didn’t think I’d see you there though, how long have you been here?’ he asked while gesturing towards a seat, asking for permission to sit down. He did so when she nodded.

-       ‘I’ve been here since an hour or two I think… I have this essay I have to hand-in next week and I hadn’t started yet…’ she said as her eyes travelled incessantly between his figure and her hands on her lap. ‘But I decided to take a break now. I was laughing at a stupid meme when I got your text… I should probably get lunch now though’.

-       ‘Yeah I love it when it’s time for a break. I was supposed to go back to the library with my food but if you don’t mind we can eat lunch together?’ he offered, smiling fondly.

-       ‘Sure’ she said.

 

They stayed silent for a few seconds before she got up uncomfortably, hitting her knees hard on the table, gritting her teeth to keep herself from whining at the pain. She embarrassingly uttered an inaudible sentence to inform him she was going to get some food at the counter, and took what seemed to be an enormous breath of fresh air as she was moving away from the table. She had a hard time choosing her lunch, deciding on a salad over a sandwich, by fear of having mayonnaise spread over her cheeks or bits of bread and other filling falling on her chest while munching ungraciously. She had craved the crayfish and avocado sandwich, so she promised herself she’d grab one on her way back home later that night.

 

When she got back at the table, he jumped just a bit and clumsily put his phone back into his coat pocket. He eyed what she had just brought and set on the table, and gave a faint smile.

 

-       ‘You also like avocado salad?’ he stated more than asked, seemingly amused.

-       ‘Oh, that’s what you had too…! Y-yeah I do love avocados’, she stuttered as she mentally cursed herself for giving him the impression of mirroring his every move just like a preteen girl would with her long time crush, when in reality she had no idea what was in his plate when she had chosen.

 

They ate in a loud silence for about two minutes, glancing at each other once in a while, never missing to make her cheeks go burning. Then he told her the story of how his classmate had tried to sneak little jokes in his last important essay and how he had gotten an F because his misogynous sense of humour wasn’t to his female teacher’s liking, surprisingly enough. That had her remembering a few pranks her high school classmates had pulled while being supervised by a substitute teacher who had ended up crying in the middle of the classroom. And they kept sharing little anecdotes of their past lives, earning a smile from the other, generally followed by a cackle. The atmosphere had become much cosier, much less awkward, and she would be lying if she said she hadn’t felt a little sad when his eyes scanned randomly around the room and landed on the clock, reminding him he had his arse to save from complete failure, as he said so himself before leaving.

 

That night, they became friends on Facebook and she had half a dozen notifications informing her he had liked her profile pictures. That night, they chatted for about two hours before he judged necessary to have a drink with her right then and there at this place halfway between his house and hers. They met an hour later, just before the bars were starting to close. He showed up with a completely different outfit to the one he was wearing at lunch, and his presence filled the air with a scent she had smelled the night just before.

 

After an intense chat about this and that, the bartender came up to their booth, looking genuinely sorry to kick them out of the establishment he intended to close within five minutes. They asked to pour their unfinished drinks into plastic cups and decided to walk around before having to head back home. Their feet brought them to the bank of the River Thames and they found a bench on which to sit, despite the freezing weather. It took no time for him to bend down his head a little to kiss her, and it was nothing uncomfortable, nothing due to the amount of ethanol in their blood, it just was.

 

When she turned the lights of her bedroom off a few hours later, she thought this could be fine after all. A satisfied smile spread across her face as she laid her head on her pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment if you'd like to read the rest ;) (I'm not trying to collect comments or anything, I just want to know if I'm gonna be uploading my work, otherwise I'll just write for myself haha)
> 
> Again, sorry if some of my grammar is a bit wrong as English is only my second language. That might be the cause for a mix of britishism and americanism as I read in both "languages" and don't always know which is which.


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